Wire rope splice



Sept. 1949- v. c. J. PETERSON WIRE ROPE SPLICE Filed Feb. 10, 1943 INVENTQR V/NC'F/Wf CJP FfFPJW/f wmm ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 20, 1949 WIRE ROPE SPLICE Vincent 0. J. Peterson,..York, Pa., assignor to American Chain & ""Cable Company,

Inc.,

Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of New York Application February 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,405

This invention concerns splices, particularly those splices used in making grommets of wire rope which are intended to be used as slings.

A grommet intended to be utilized as a sling can be fabricated in at least three different ways, according to the prior art. Short splices of a wellknown kind can be used to join the end of a rope, thus making an endless rope. Another method is to utilize a technique similar to that used in making long or running splices. This is done by winding a single strand around and around a core so that the eventual product is a rope made of a single strand laid around a core so many times as to result in an endless rope with only a single cut strand, Another method of making a grommet is to fasten the ends of a length of wire rope together with clips or other applied fasteners.

All of the above forms of splice have certain disadvantages. Short splices are difficult to make and require a strong and skillful man in the fabrication, and furthermore weaken the rope to a certain extent both at the splice and in the immediate neighborin rope because of the tucking which must be employed to interlace properly the strands. Grommets made with long, or running splices have a disadvantage that sometimes the ends of the cut strands rise to the surface of the rope and form dangerous projections which catch on the hands of those using the grommet. Those slings which are made by winding a single strand around and around an endless central core to eventually form what appears to be endless rope with but a single cut in any of the strands are difficult to make in large size because of the method of stranding employed which requires considerable lifting of a heavy spool or coil to pass the strand around the endless central core. Furthermore unless the strand is preformed, it is extremely difficult to assure that each strand is as tight around the core as the next strand and is carrying its proper share of the load.

Clips and other mechanical fasteners securing the ends of rope together are more or less disliked because of their large size and the projections inherent in them. Furthermore they are notorious for their low efficiency, that is, the tendency they have to permit the rope to pull out of the clip or else cause strains in the rope which cause the rope to break at or in the neighborhood of the clip. Y

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a splice which can be used for making endless Wire grommets which can be ap- 3 Claims. 57-142) same time as strong as the rope which is joined by the splice.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a splice which can be utilized as the part of the rope subjected to the maximum wear;

- that is, one which can be used as a grommet splice and which can be applied over the lifting hook when the grommet is to be supported from a hook.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a splice for making endless grommets which does not require any expensive fittings.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a showing of a pair of wire rope ends prepared for splicing;

Figure '2 has a similar showing of the rope ends shown in Figure 2 after they are married";

Figure 3 is a showing of the ropes of Figures 1 and 2 with one end of the splice completed;

Figure 4 is a showing of the splice completed.

This splice has been illustrated in conjunction with a six part wire rope. It is to be understood that the splice can be used with any number of parts.

It is to be understood that this splice is intended primarily for use with wire rope or cable, as the conventional splices are satisfactory in manila or other textile ropes. It is to be further understood that the strands, indicated in the drawings may be considered as individual wires, strands, ropes or even cables, and that, so far as the application of the splice is concerned, the expression strand is intended to mean one of the last wires or groups of wires which is operated upon in closing the completed structure.

Referring now to Figure 1, two rope ends are shown after preliminary preparations Ropes A and B may be the ends of the same rope or two separate ropes to be joined. As a first operation, a ferrule I0 is applied to each rope end. This ferrule is considerably larger in diameter than the rope itself as will presently appear and can be simply slipped over the cut end of each rope. After the ferrule I0 is in place, the rope is seized at l l in each instance. The distance between seizing II and the end of the rope is any reasonable distance but three lays has been found sufiicient. After such seizing the individual strands are unlaid from the core back to the seizing. The core l-Zof each rope is cut short near the seizing leaving the ropes in the condition shown in Figure 1. After this has been done, the ends of the ropes are married, that is, the strands of rope A are passed between the strands of rope B in such a fashion that each pair of strand on any one rope has a strand from theIother rope passing betweenits This is substantially the same as a procedure employed in makingmany conventional :sp1ices,

in manila lines. 7

For convenience, the strands of each ropeeare numbered, from I to 6, with asubscript a or b,

which refers to the rope of which it forms, a part,

It will be noted that in marry g the'endsL'strahd;

5a has been shown as passing between strands 6b and lb, to as passing betweenstrands I-bland: 2b, and so on around the entire splice. Also, strand lb can be said to be between strands 5a and 6a, andso on. c

Afterthe ends have been married; the actual making of a splice is performed; This consists of wrapping each individualstrand of one rope aroundthe laid up portion of the other rope. As

o lse 'o i h na ura inc nation of the ver i strands to follow the pitch of'the valleys the hd r r hs la d r e he. Proc ss an he .emi oyedw th o din ry. ire ro e i c r is taken to te h h 'QPQ'QOWQQ t s. a dn la It is'to be i99d,.9ff9l t 4 that t e se i H. s he eov efor $4. 91! lay ng-up oi. t strands is attempted.

h esultin struot he ha ny stra dlaid in the 'valley between the pair. of strands it, was i wed tw en i he marryin process Th by way of eiiomoie, ,strahd h. whiohwasinserted e weeh str nds he en ollies n'th vall y beween. tlf' hd o, and 3a aseoh be een n ee The am orooe s s emolo esi oh th he n ofthe splice. This results in a structurehaving he ehheerehoe. f i ures The splioethenpms'e ts t e p e ce o a pe. w th verlying strands which verlying strands emerge. from the center of the splice andlpass aroundthelaid rope o enoih eway om he n er.

Afte the sp e osbeeh pleted so ta as. V the di po ition ofthestrandsare;c0ncerned,..the

f'ili ihle are mpressed. around the free ends of-the outer strands. If, desired. l additional ferrule may be placed'atvthgcollteli of the splice,

The splice depends for its, ehiciency, not only.

ithe ferrule which need not en. h h se eej be 1 hgh- Q 7 ht. ehoh hzto. ansm t the entire load from theinteriorrope to the exterior iihhd l b t 5 n supqn the ricti noeveloped between the overlying. strands and. the hd f y h 1099-. foot ito sl-possiblegh y makev ing; along enough splice, to dispense with ferrules. V

d,u i .emer 1y seizihg, toholdthe Qndspofthe strand in-place. 'Ifhis constrnctionghowever, re-v u s e h oe whiehis nor haie v ohe h the shownstructure is betterfrgnranypointof View,

includ e mhho hess ,a d heatnppea aheea ir laidmort ona Assuming a completed splice with ferrules in place is subjected to a tension tending to cause slippage, the following actions take place. Increase in length of the space between the ferrules,

caused by stretching of the inner ropes, and

movement of rope A (the laid section thereof) away from the laid section of rope B, places the ou er str nds. und r t nsion. As th y are helically disposed, they hug the: inner strands more closely because ofthis tension. Accordingly, considerable friction is developed between the inner and outer strands, which transfers the load from oneto, the other. Because'of this, the ferrules II] are not required to transmitthe entire load, although' by makingthem long enough, they could he made. so o do;

In addition'to the effect noted, there is a ten dencyffor the-outeristrands to wedge themselves more tightly in place when tension is placed on them which would tend to resist pulling them out from under the ferrules.

It is to be understood; thatthe mentioned,

method of making a splice is illustrativeof'the invention and that: itis possible to deviate from the descriptionsomewhat and still; remain within. thescopofthe appendedclaims.

Iclaim-z e 1; A splice'for two rope ends comprising a heliically' laid portion and a terminal splayed portion on-each; rope end, the strafnd's of-the-splayed portionof each-rope endpassing between the strands of thesplayedportion oftheotherrope end and helically disposed inthe valleys of the laid-portion of the other rope end; and meanssecuring the, strands of the splayed portion of'eaclfrope endin thesvalleys of the und'erlyi r of the ppeend; V I 1 2. Agsplice fortwolrope-ends comprising aheli- V cally laid portion and a terminal splayedportion" on; each rope end;. the-strands- 0f the splayed portion, of: each ropewend-passing between" the strands of the: splayed: portion; of the other rope end andzhelically disposed: in the valleysof thelaidi portion. of: the. otherrope end,- the strands each splayed portionEterminating ina common region; I d;a;ring-, compressed around the ends t strands; of; each. rope end'pressing the or part oftheinlength into the Valleys dliIJOIfiQI ofrthe other rope end; ,li6e-f 01-t;WQ:II0lI) 6:endS comprising a-helimic p-Q and he: strands, of) the splayed portion; o e ch, ro e-end; passing between the strands-of, the, splayedrportion; of: the other rope end and helically disposed in=the valleys of the laid; portion of; the othen rope:v end, each strand it hep yed p rtion oi, eachmne; end; lyin n the valley. between the strands-of the; oth rwise. end, through, which. it,. -pa.sse s, the ends of the; strands nr'ea nro na terminating-in a comoon region, and a, rin c mpre sed ro n he ends of'the strands,v of eachrope end passing the strands for. apartof, their length into the valleys, of the'laid-pbrlzionlofthe other rope end.

VINCENT c J. PETERSON. EFEREN S CITED Th llowing references-are; ofirecord' in the ille-ofithis patent r I- event s; PATENTS Number Name Date 29,323.. Channonn H M y 1877 2A=.14;66: Reterson a terminal splayed portion- 

